From left, Reps. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Katherine M. Clark of Massachusetts and Joyce Beatty of Ohio raise their fists during a photo op for the House Democratic women on Jan. 4. (Cliff Owen/AP file photo)

Democratic lobbyist Anne MacMillan recalls sitting at small political fundraising dinners not long ago, with men filling all the chairs around her.

“Generally, the conversation would circle around hunting or fishing or golf, or something I couldn’t even participate in,” said MacMillan, a former aide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Vice President Mike Pence greets tourists as he walks down a back stairway near the meeting room where Senate Republicans unveiled their new version of health care plan last week. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Welcome back to another busy full week of Congress.

Health care is the talk of the town and starting today, an assortment of liberal groups are holding “People’s Filibuster” rallies on Capitol Hill to oppose the Senate Republican effort to repeal the 2010 health care law.

Geoff Browning, legislative assistant for Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., has a pretty serious music career on the side of his Capitol Hill job.

His band, Of Tomorrow, is playing tonight at the 9:30 Club (815 V St., NW) with other musicians, including Karl Denson of the Rolling Stones, Melvin Seals of the wider Grateful Dead/Jerry Garcia Band family and Alan Evans of Soulive.

Washington has been turned upside down by the presidency of Donald Trump, but there are many in this city who will now wield power and influence either through their wits, careful planning or just dumb luck.

CQ Roll Call has identified 17 of these people to watch in 2017. Some of the names are familiar, others have recently burst on the scene.